DCLM Daily Manna Friday 18 August 2023
TOPIC: Fake Madness
TEXT: 1 Samuel 21:10-15 (KJV)
10 And David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11 And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13 And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
14 Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
15 Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?
KEY VERSE
“And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.”
(1 Samuel 21:13)
DCLM Daily Manna Friday 18 August 2023 MESSAGE
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), “In 2019, 1 in every 8 people, or 970 million people around the world were living with a mental disorder, with anxiety and depressive disorders being the most common”. It defines “mental disorder as characterised by a clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotional regulation or behaviour. It is usually associated with distress or impairment in important areas of functioning”. The world mental report card is bleak. It shows that more people are going mad than ever before.
READ DCLM Daily Manna Thursday 17 August 2023 – Believers’ Tough Turf
The passage for reading today shows David at one of those days in his life when wrong decisions got the better of him. Jonathan had confirmed his suspicion that Saul was serious about killing him. David, therefore, ran to Gath of all places, the home of Goliath, to hide. The Philistines recognised him immediately and raised the alarm about his presence among them. Realising his mistake and with no confidence in God to see him through this wrong turn, David decided to pretend that he could no longer coordinate himself. He changed his behaviour and exhibited signs of “madness” such that Achish was convinced David was now mad and as a result drove him away from his presence.
Even though David’s “madness” was temporary, many people today are following his footsteps by taking decisions out of fear and discouragement. As children of God, we must allow our difficulties to drive us to pray and seek the face of God instead of lying and running helter-skelter. We must not allow our temporary challenges to make us take unwise decisions or compromise our convictions.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Trying to do without God is true madness.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Job 26-30
